Denver Post Broncos writer Nicki Jhabvala posts her Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season.
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Of the Broncos’ rookies and free-agent signings this offseason, which player do you think will have the most immediate impact?
— Kelly D., Cary, N.C.
Kelly: A lot can change in four months, but as of now, based on projected playing time and health, I’d say first-round pick Garett Bolles, veteran running back and third-round pick Carlos Henderson have the best chances to be immediate-impact players. The Broncos have been in need of offensive-line help for more than two years now, essentially since was lost to injury in 2015. They signed and last year with the hope that both would bolster the front five. But the line was a mess last year — on the edges especially — and the issues spilled out into the rest of the offense.
Elway plucked guard Ron Leary from the Cowboys, signed tackle Menelik Watson after four injury-riddled seasons in Oakland and then got Bolles in the first round. Development for rookie O-linemen takes time, but Bolles will be thrown into the fire. His time to adjust will be limited, but any improvement over last year at left tackle will be considered a success for his rookie season.
Charles’ contributions and impact will depend primarily on his health. He’s coming back from multiple surgeries that held him back for the last two seasons. He says he’s ready to go, and if he’s anything close to what he was in 2014, he and could be a lethal duo on the ground. Charles is, after all, the league’s all-time leader is yards rushing per carry (5.45).
Henderson, the No. 82 pick out of Louisiana Tech, might be the Broncos’ answer at slot. The Broncos had a long list of receivers on their roster last year. filled the No. 3 position, behind Pro Bowlers Demaryius Thomas and . But in his absence, there is no clear replacement.
Henderson, however, could easily be that guy if he can get quickly acclimated. He recorded 23 total touchdowns (19 receiving, two rushing, two kickoff returns) and more than 1,500 yards receiving last season at Louisiana Tech, and was named Conference-USA’s offensive and special teams player of the year. He also ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
Tell me why our Broncos aren’t pursuing ? I realize we drafted (tight end Jake) Butt, however with it unlikely he can play early next season, Barnidge seems like up an upgrade over our current TEs.
— Kenny, Mountain Grove, Mo.
Kenny: The Broncos believe Butt will be ready by August or September, and they still have high expectations for . This is really the first offseason in which Heuerman is fully healthy since they drafted him 2015. Making up for his lost rookie season (ACL surgery) was difficult and he was dealing with multiple injuries from the get-go last year. After the draft, general manager said Heuerman, as well as veterans and , will compete for roster spots.
“You know what, everyone who’s going to make the team, they make the team,” Elway said. “No one else makes it for them. They’ve got to go make the team themselves, so that’s why it’s up to them. Knowing Jeff and knowing those tight ends, they’re going to come out and compete and do the best they can. Hopefully it’s a situation where everybody gets better because of that.”
The selection of Butt and the return of ‘s offense are clear signs the Broncos want more out of their tight ends and plan to utilize them more. They have the tight end group to do it — when healthy.
With Chad Kelly being the Broncos’ third QB, are they going to have to keep him on active roster and not the practice squad in fear of someone taking him from squad at a relatively inexpensive price.
— Brian Wiz, Woodland Park
Brian: Year 1 for Kelly will focus primarily on getting healthy — he’s recovering from knee and wrist surgeries — and learning the playbook. He will be on the active roster when healthy, but the Broncos will have another quarterback in camp for depth and competition while Kelly recovers. (They signed Kyle Sloter out of Northern Colorado as an undrafted free agent.)
Once healthy, the expectation is that Kelly will compete for a job, too. . The guy set nearly two dozen records at Ole Miss, including some of Archie Manning’s. This offseason will be about and again duking it out for the starting job. But when Kelly is ready, the Broncos’ may have three young and promising quarterbacks to choose from.
Will the No Fly Zone continue their dominant pass defense this year?
— Steve Browning, Virginia Beach, Va.
Steve: I don’t have a crystal ball in front of me, but that’s their plan and they certainly have the means to do it. The secondary lost cornerback in free agency but gained a future player in Brendan Langley, whom they drafted in the third round out of Lamar.
“He was the guy that we wanted on our board. We thought he was the best player on our board at the time,” Elway said. “That’s why we went that direction. We did have him in here and we liked him a lot when he was in here. We liked his mentality. He wants to be great. He’s a competitor and he’s got that edge to him. He does have a way to go. He started as a wide receiver and has come to corner. He’s got some good instincts at corner, but it’s going to take him some time. In the meantime, he’s a returner. He’s fast, physical and can play on special teams, too. That came in to the equation also because he was effective on special teams and a really good punt returner. Like all these kids, it’s going to take them all a little bit of time. They’ll all get better. As we talked about, we don’t draft all-pros, but we hopefully can coach them there. That’s ()’s job.”
